GaryLewis

This place is a little over an hour away, but we always make an effort to play here several times a season. We love the course. It's a terrific design with lots of elevation changes, hardwoods, water, and challenging holes. About the only problem this year were some dead spots due to way too much rain this Spring and early Summer. But the greens were perfect. They are quite large, fast, and a real test for your flat stick.

This was originally built and opened as a private country club, but forced to go semi due to falling population and the area being overbuilt for golf. I would say if you get a chance to play it, do so. It's a "pro style" layout.

Tanglewood, formerly a private club that,.like many in NE Ohio, has been forced to go semi-public in order to survive, It is one heck of a test! I shot 87 and was quite happy with that. There are lots of elevation changes and quite a bit of water! The greens are very large and usually putt quite fast.

There were a few issues that torrential downpours Sunday evening into Monday caused, but it's been raining buckets here all year! Quite a few bunkers had water in them, and the greens were a bit slower than usual. Still, this is heck of track, and we try to play it a couple times a season even though the drive is a little over an hour.

Considering when and where this took place, late February in NE Ohio, it was just a blessing to get out and play. The course was firmer than we expected, but still no roll on your drive which is to be expected. They had the tees moved up to compensate. The biggest surprise was the greens. They were beautiful! Firm, smooth, and actually kind of fast!

The day before we played at a local "upscale" daily fee course whose greens were absolutely horrible! I don't know how late last year they aerated, but their greens haven't even begun to heal. At Knoll Run the greens were in the best shape you could hope for at this time of year.

There is one thing. The course profile says built in 2006 and that's not quite right. The course was in existence for many years before that and known as Countryside. The course came under new ownership in 2006 and they sunk a lot of money into it, redesigning some holes, building ponds, installing a fairway watering system, and improving the overall condition of the course. It's now a delight to play, and is one of the more popular courses in the area. I just didn't want people to think they were going to encounter a totally "modern" design. A lot of this course is definitely "old school", but still challenging.

Also, the restaurant is a couple of notches up on most golf course eateries around here. A lot of people come here to eat who have absolutely no interest in golf.

The day we played, the weather was, in a word, rotten! Very cold with a wind howling out of the North. Having been soaked by recent rains, there was no roll so the course played long even though we moved up a set of tees.

There are 5 sets of tees so you can pick the length that suits you, but the course will still be a challenge. The greens are huge and well bunkered. Many seem to be 2 or 3 greens in one, and if you put your approach in the wrong place, you are in for an adventure!

There are holes that call for forced carries over hazards that are daunting. Think Ohio is flat land? Play here and you will be quickly disabused of that notion!

We will play here again, but will wait for better weather to firm the course up. I will say that the hot deal we got on GolfNow was amazing. There are goat ranches in the area you can't play for so little!

Have played this course for many years and generally enjoyed it a lot. As my title suggest it's a little early yet. The course was quite wet (cart path only), but this place always did take it's time drying out. Thus, it played quite long. The greens were a pleasant surprise, the turf tightly knit with no evidence of snow mold or winter burn from the 4-5 months of rotten weather we've just suffered through. However, they did putt quite slow. I look forward to coming back and playing here when it's had a chance to dry out, firm up, and the greens pick up some speed.

I am somewhat confused by some of the negative reviews. I played the original 9 hole course many moons ago, and that was, indeed, "goofy golf". A few years ago some friends suggested we play Walnut Run. I was a little doubtful, but I agreed and I'm glad I did. What a pleasant surprise! Here was a real golf course. The kind I would call a "shotmakers" course, which makes the negative review of the "single digit handicapper" even more perplexing!
This is not a course where you can just bash it around and have a shot no matter where your ball winds up. There are quite a few very tight driving holes, and even some of the wide open holes still demand you place your drive in the proper spot. You'll make some mistakes your first time playing here. Local knowledge is definitely a good thing! It's called "shot placement", people!
As one reviewer mentioned, weather does pay a part here. Although there is plenty of contour and slope on the course, the overall character of northern Trumbull County is flat land. Thus, in wet times, there are spots on the course that have drainage issues. When playing in hot times the course becomes firm and fast, and is a delight to play, and the greens follow suit. They are quick, but putt very true. Plus, they come in all sizes, from "tabletop" greens to those that seem to be a half acre in size.
I will say for those of you who like to walk, ehhhhh, the front side might not be too bad, but the hike from the clubhouse to the 10th tee is like going on safari! This seems to be the bane of courses located in housing developments. Still, I see people walking the course every time I'm out there. Yet, I've encountered slow play only once, when a gang of real "chops" (in carts) was ahead of us, and they eventually let us play through.
I might also mention that Walnut Run offers a golf and steak dinner special. We did this once last year. The golf was delightful, and the steak dinner was fantastic! For those of you who read these reviews, I'd say give Walnut Run a chance. True, it's not a Country Club, but it's not a goat ranch, either! It's a challenging round of golf. I get the feeling that some of the negative reviewers expected the course to "submit" to their superior golf games. Well, this course doesn't submit to anybody! Try it. You just might like it!

I had not played here since the original 9 holes was laid out some years ago. Friends talked me into playing last year (2011), and I was pleasantly surprised. A complete redesign with lots of holes that make you think. Some are very tight and demand good shot placement. Greens were in good shape and fairly quick, which was cool by me. I can't stand putting on a shag rug! If you wind up on the wrong side of the hole, look out! Excellent practice green w/sand trap and chipping areas plus a driving range for a complete warm up or practice. Definitely worth your while if you're a local or just in the area. We've played here more often than any other course in the area the last two years.

A Donal Ross design built in 1927, I believe. If all you've played are courses of "modern" design, or you have a thing for historic designers, you gotta get here! As soon as you pull in the drive you get the feeling you're in for something special. I absolutely love this place. Quintessential Ross. The design takes full advantage of the topography, which is quite hilly, with Ross's penchant for small greens. Very challenging! Also the clubhouse is gorgeous.
I must say a word about the customer service. Superlative! I made the mistake of booking a round for the wrong day and was trying to get a refund from GolfNow. Bob, who runs the pro shop, went to the trouble of running down the starter, checking the time sheet, determined that we did not play, and returned GolfNow's phone call, all to help out a total stranger, me! I made a point of thanking him personally when we played there the next week. We will be back!

I read that Fuzzy Zoeller said that all they had to do was grow the rough and they could play the open here. Could be! This course is a challenging, pro-style layout. A former private club that has been force to go semi-private (or semi-public, if you will) in order to survive. A common scenario in NE Ohio. The clubhouse is a little disheveled, but I'm OK with that if they're taking care of the course. There were a few rough spots, but it was because the course was being worked on, not neglected. Besides the design, the best part was the greens. Large, lots of contour, would hold a shot, and fast as lightning! Loved them! I want to play here again, and definitely worth your while.